The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many Calgarians opting for “staycations” this summer, and some of the people staying close to home are taking steps to spruce up their homes.
That’s turning out to be a bonus for contractors.
Clay Steadman’s company Mountaincreek Developments is benefiting from the renewed interest in renovations.
“The last couple of weeks have been crazy,” Steadman said Friday, referring to the amount of residential jobs related to flooring, kitchens and bathrooms.
Clayton and Karen Behiel hired Steadman to build a deck in their backyard, and they’re looking forward to using as the weather warms up over the coming weeks.
“We’ve been pretty cooped up,” Clayton Behiel said. “Pretty soon we’ll be out here in the evening with a glass of wine, enjoying our lives.”
The couple says that even in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, it was a good time to go ahead with their project.
“I wanted to get it done early, because my feeling is that when this settles down and life gets rolling back to normal, people like Clay are going to be hard to get our hands on,” Karen Behiel said. “We always try to support local businesses.”
Steadman and his crews are working differently during the pandemic, taking steps to try to keep themselves and their clients as safe as possible.
“We talk with homeowners, make sure that everyone’s not sick,” Steadman said. “We’re working at a safe distance, making sure we’re not working right beside the other guys. And, as much as possible, homeowners aren’t home while we’re around.”
The Behiels say having people working on their home while social distancing restrictions are in place also brings adjustments for them.
“The biggest change for us is just not being able to offer them coffee, water or Coke,” Karen Behiel said.
Once Steadman finishes building the deck for the Behiels, he’ll be off to his next job.
“They’re rolling in every day,” Steadman said.
Karen Behiel says the project is helping to make a stressful spring feel a little more sunny: “Watching this happen, it’s just been super exciting!”
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